Photo Credit: Tatyana Kildisheva from Kildi Photo
Calling oll Seasoned Singapore Expat Women - SSEW. In the past few weeks, we have seen the rise, and rise - of one of Singapore's most recent and possibly, most relevant closed Facebook groups, that the Singapore expat women's community has experienced, period!
I am writing this blog from a male perspective, so I don't have access to the group, but I have it on high authority - being from many of my close female friends here in Singapore - that the group has substance and relevance in today's expatriate community, where we find that more and more families and individuals, are staying for longer than expected, - the normal a few years back would have been a three-year assignment. Many of these women have been in Singapore, as expats for well over 3,5,10 and even 20 years...yes! And still expatriates! Some Permanent Residents (PR's) but many - not so.
Where unified consciousness meets within the Seasoned Singapore Expat Women group, is where friendships are made, forged and then broken, due to reassignment (repatriation) of many short term expats. It can be an emotional personal journey when you live in a expatriate community for more than 3 years. You see your new found expat friends come, create bonded friendships - and then they go! It can be heart-breaking - and it is certainly cyclic!
When I go to Facebook and look up the group Seasoned Singapore Expat Women, not only do I see over 2700 members - escalating to this number in as little as five weeks, I also see many of my own female friends whom I've had the pleasure to work with, socialise with, and form bonding friendships with, in my own nine years here in Singapore - be it through career or family life. It's great to see a Facebook group honestly - "Resonate!"
Nici Schueler and her proud advocates have certainly hit a chord, and I congratulate them on their foresight to see that expat women in Singapore are not all about catering to the needs of the - all important newbie women, although they are certainly here as the voice of authority and recommendation. Seasoned Singapore Expat Women don't need to chat online about the micro adjustments to living the expat life in Singapore.
These women have more focus on the Macro - the whole of the sum of us, what makes "US" all tick. How do "WE" relate to each other? What is the social fabric which brings "US" all together as a unified whole? Thought provoking? This can only invoke a new wave of thinking, socially - within the expat community! Bravo!
I am told the conversations are fun-filled, profound, at times provocative, intuitive and almost always of a socially contributing nature. How are you feeling today? What does your week look like? - from a women's perspective having lived in Singapore, either as the bread winner or the family manager ( as I like to refer to mum or "the home maker" ) who has lived here for more than 3 years. Yes, that is the criteria. 3 years - and you are in!
29 March 2017 marked a significant turn around in socially digital connectedness - where the digital universe came down-to-earth, for some good old, on-the-ground, reality. Some of the Seasoned Singapore Expat Women meet for the first time at an idyllic venue LUXE - a closed door event only for Seasoned Singapore Expat Women group approved members only. This event was followed only last week by a gathering at Dallas Restaurant & Bar at Suntec City Sky Garden - a contemporary bar/bistro concept that offers an exquisite variety of culinary delights, a full bar, a great selection of the finest handpicked wines, and a top floor that’s now available for events. The ladies had a brilliant evening, again forging new friendships, taking their Seasoned Singapore Expat Women's SSEW status to even greater heights.
May this be the first of many gathering's for Seasoned Singapore Expat Women to give rise to open communication, connectedness, good conversation, and above all, new found friendships based on familiarity, all face-to-face. Bring it on! A birdy told me the SSEW has now opened up focus groups including a Bookclub, CBD Lunch meet-ups and more.
Enjoy Ladies! Let's see the first 5000 members ASAP. The more the merrier, and above all bring on the social connectedness that we all know and love as Expats living and working away from our home countries.
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